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YURI

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Yuri’s mom was waiting for them to arrive.

She immediately pulled Hana and Yuri into a tight hug as soon as they got out of the car.

“I am beyond grateful for your help, Hana. I don’t know what would happen if Yuri did not have you. Really, thank you for accompanying Yuri.” Sana genuinely thanked her daughter’s girlfriend, then turned to look at her first born child. “And you! I am so proud of you for facing your fears. Your mama and I are always available if you need someone to talk to. You know that, right?”

“Of course, mom.” Yuri smiled at her mom reassuringly, and made a mental note to talk to her later about what happened. For now, she really needed to talk to her mama. She hadn't told Hana about her phone call with her mom earlier, as she wanted to fix this issue on her own.

“Your parents are waiting for you inside, I’ll just go and fetch them.” Sana told Hana, “It’s best if you go home for now, and then I’ll make sure that Yuri will contact you afterwards.” She gave one more hug to the both of them before going back inside.

“Thank you, baby. Really. And sorry… for dragging you into this—Yeah, I know that we talked about it, but still… it would’ve been nice if there would have been no drama like this.” Yuri stated.

“Yeah, that would be nice. But still, please believe me when I say that I would still choose to be with you no matter what.” Hana assured Yuri.

“I know, baby. And I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Hana heard her parents arrive before they even got out of the house, “Well, I guess… I’ll just wait for your call?”

“I promise I will, baby.”

“You better!” Hana glared at Yuri. She can’t help but worry if Yuri would really contact her later, because she really has a tendency to overthink.

Hana’s parents arrived and Hana’s mom hugged Yuri too, while Hana’s mama tapped her shoulder. She supposes that that’s the way she shows her support. “We better get going.”

“Take care, aunties.” Yuri bowed down towards her girlfriend’s parents.

As soon as Hana’s family car came out of view, she immediately ran to her mama’s office room inside the house.

“Ma,” Yuri said, announcing her arrival. “Is it true? You caught—”

“Yuri! Please tell your mama what you asked us to do!” A very familiar voice cut Yuri off. “Please, bro!”

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HANA

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“Honey, can we talk?” She heard her mom’s voice after three knocks that stopped her spacing out.

“Yes, mom. Come in!”

The door softly opened and her mom’s face came into view as she turned around from her study table.

“What’s up?”

Her mom went straight to her bed and patted the bed beside her. “Come here.”

Hana obeyed and sat beside her mom who had this apologetic look in her face. “Are you okay, honey?”

She considered telling her mom that everything was fine, but then she remembered that keeping things from them could make things worse.

She sighed and looked down. “Have you talked to Yuri’s parents?”

Sana looked at her daughter's worried expression and nodded, "A little. We talked about how to proceed with whatever Yuri is going through."

"Yuri has always been honest with me. She wanted me to escape and stay as far away from her as possible," Hana started. "And I'm not sure, mom. I'm not sure what to do." Hana looked up, and Sana noticed her worried eyes. “Can I really be of help to her? Should I really be handling this heavy stuff at my age? Will I be a bad person if I ask these questions? I don’t know!” She added hysterically.

“Shh, come here, baby.” Sana drew her daughter in for a hug. She admits that this is all new to her. She and Dahyun grew up in a loving family with no problems until they were adults. And seeing her daughter suffer as a result of her first love makes her want to grab her baby and flee so she won't suffer any more. But she must be logical. Yuri is also like a daughter to her, and abandoning her when she needs the people who love her the most would be cruel and would only add to the child's insecurity.

“What do I do, mom?” Hana asked.

"You were both children, honey," Sana replied, "and I'm glad you opened up to me instead of carrying the burden all by yourself. And, to be honest, I'd just like for you to go on living your life as if Yuri did not even exist."

At her mom’s statement, Hana felt a pain in her heart. A life without Yuri?

"But it's not like Yuri is a bad kid. According to her parents' accounts, she is a wonderful child with good grades, a healthy dose of curiosity, and a lot of love to give." Sana added quickly because she saw how her daughter reacted to her suggestion earlier. "Wouldn't it be unfair to her if we just abandoned her like that?"

“I don’t want to abandon her.” Hana admitted.

“I know, honey. I know.” Sana kissed Hana’s forehead. "But, just so you know, it's also not wrong to let go. I doubt Yuri would be pleased to learn that she is the source of your despair. Everything will work out fine, I believe, if honest and open communication is maintained. Besides, you both have parents who love you to the moon and back and would go to any length to see you happy.”

“Do you think Yuri will be okay, mom?” Hana went back to hugging her mom, feeling the comfort that she gives.

“I'm afraid I can't answer that, sweetie. Only Yuri has the ability to truly help herself. But I believe in her good intentions, baby. I believe she will do the right thing, especially since she appears to adore you. And, while the idea of love being this deep at your age makes me skeptical, I believe you are both special, and if anyone can get through this, it is the two of you.” Sana rubbed Hana’s back as her daughter melted more to her hug.

“Mom? How did mama react?” Hana looked up once more out of curiosity.

“Are you afraid that your mama would not understand and would separate you from Yuri again?”

Hana nodded.

“She took it well, I suppose. She was just quiet the whole time, but I don’t feel any indication that she wanted to keep you away from Yuri.”

Sana suddenly remembered the talk that she had with Dahyun just a few nights ago.

[ FLASHBACK ]

"I just can't imagine it, baby." "Yuri's just a kid," Dahyun exclaimed as they finished cleaning up and getting ready for bed. "It was as if she was left with remnants of the past that she could never get rid of, and here I was thinking I had it bad."

Sana just wanted to let Dahyun voice out her concerns so she just let her speak. They just finished having dinner with Yuri’s parents, and it seems that after what happened, they grew closer instead of apart. Dahyun finally realized how much Yuri needed support from the people around her, and that she feels a little guilty because she once wanted to make sure that the child would not be associated with her family.

"I don't think I'd be able to handle it if one of my core memories was of pain. And the thought of her imagining not having a parent to cry out to, to soothe her pain, to comfort her... it just breaks my heart." Dahyun pulled Sana in for a hug.

"That's why it's important that we make sure that we can help, and not make things worse," Sana sighed. "I think that wherever Yuri went, she always gave warmth and love freely to the people around her, and every moment that she's with our daughter, it's as if there was more oxygen, and our daughter feels more alive. It was as if she were a fire submerged in water that miraculously survived, which is more than enough proof that the girl is strong and that there is hope for her."

Sana could feel Dahyun relax, and her paranoia for her daughter's safety and hypervigilance faded.

They were both aware that Yuri did not deserve any of this, but if there is one thing she does deserve, it is the feeling of warmth and love that their daughter appears to be capable of providing. They also discovered how Yuri cheered up whenever she was with Hana during their childhood, and how their daughter responded to Yuri's cries for comfort.

Dahyun also discovered through her experiences that people are not born cruel. Evil exists, but so do the good. And that it would mean a lot if everyone could learn to treat people with such warmth. So she always chose to be kind and gentle because she didn't want others to go through what she did. She didn't want any of her children to go down the same lonely path she had.

“So what do we do?” Sana inquired.

"I believe it is best to first check our daughter's feelings, and if she decides to continue loving Yuri, then so do we. We'd love to love whoever our family loves." Dahyun responded.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

“Really? Mama was not angry at Yuri?” Hana asked in disbelief.

“Why would she?”

“But what if Yuri really did something to Jiyeon?” Hana continued to ask.

"I guess it all depends on Yuri's willingness to change, and if she truly repented, then it's something we can all discuss as a family. No one here should pass judgment on Yuri's actions based on the few months we've known her. Anyone is so much more than their past."

Hana pondered her mother's response and felt as if the weight on her shoulders had been lifted. It really does make a difference when parents are willing to listen to their children, something that Yuri and Hana have both been blessed with.

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YURI

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The next school day seemed to come by quickly, in Yuri’s eyes.

It could be because she spent the rest of the night crying in her mama’s arms, and after she texted Hana, she immediately fell asleep due to exhaustion.

She wanted everything to go back to normal, so even if she started out the day sluggishly, practically dragging herself through shower, she still hoped for the best.

Although her parents promised her that everything will soon be okay, she still thought that somehow her relationship with her girlfriend’s family would forever be tainted.

Even so, she bravely went to pick up her girlfriend and was welcomed by Hana’s parents.

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